Maya Lin and the national design firm Shepley Bulfinch have been tapped to reimagine Smith College’s 106-year-old Neilson Library.
The project, which is slated to break ground in 2017, is intended to create more space for the museum’s growing collection and to truly transform it into a state-of-the-art institution.
“Maya Lin’s celebrated work within the combined fields of architecture, art and landscape–coupled with Shepley Bulfinch’s extensive experience in creating 21st-century academic libraries–will create a new library that is not only functional but forward-looking,” said Smith College President Kathleen McCartney in a statement. “Maya Lin thinks of libraries as today’s temples–spaces for reflection, intellectual exploration, and discussion of ideas. I am confident that she and the design team will work in close partnership with the Smith community to create a library that will showcase our collections and enrich our community in ways we can only begin to imagine.”